REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
February 27, 2024
FROM
BRETT GODOWN, Director, Department of Airports
DON DAY, Director, Project and Facilities Management Department
SUBJECT
Title
Advertise for Competitive Bids for the Chino Airport Vault Upgrade Project
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Find that the Vault Upgrade Project is exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines, Existing Facilities Sections 15301(a) and (d), Class 1.
2. Approve plans and specifications for the Vault Upgrade Project at Chino Airport located at 7000 Merrill Avenue in Chino.
3. Authorize the Director of the Project and Facilities Management Department to advertise for competitive bids for the Vault Upgrade Project.
4. Direct the Project and Facilities Management Department to file the Notice of Exemption in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act.
(Presenter: Brett Godown, Director, 387-8810)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not require the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost).
The Capital Improvement Program Vault Upgrade Project (Project) (WBSE 10.10.1461) budget will be almost entirely funded with the Department of Airports’ (Department) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant awards. The FAA AIP grants, through the Non-Primary Entitlement Funds (Entitlement Funds), are expected to provide reimbursement of 90% of the total cost for the Project. The remaining balance of the cost for the Project is expected to be funded from the existing appropriation in the Airport Capital Improvement Fund (631-100-2180).
Approval of any necessary related budget adjustments is not requested at this time but will be included in the item when it is presented to the Board of Supervisors (Board) for approval of the contract award.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Chino Airport is the busiest in the County system and its role in the National Plan of Integrated Airports is at the National level with over 600 validated based aircraft and approximately 198,888 flight operations in 2022. The Project will provide electrical upgrades to operate the computer systems of the airport electrical vault room. The Project advances AIP policy by improving airport safety as the electrical upgrades directly affect the day-and-night operations. The necessity of the Project scope has been determined by site investigations and consultation with Chino Airport staff.
Pursuant to FAA process, the Department, on behalf of the County, as the Airport Sponsor, submitted a non-binding pre-application last December to notify the FAA of the County’s intent to request grant funds to accomplish the Project. The Project was among those projects identified on the accepted Department FAA Capital Improvement Program (ACIP), which were a result of the FAA and County airfield operations special focus group. The FAA pre-application process assists with determining if the proposed project meets the criteria set forth in the ACIP. For construction projects, the FAA’s process requires the County to obtain bid amounts by May following the December pre-application submittal. The construction bids are intended to confirm the grant amounts. A non-binding Grant Application is then submitted to the FAA to secure allocated Entitlement Funds, and if approved, the County will be required to sign a Grant Agreement.
The Project and Facilities Management Department (PFMD) recommends the Board find the Project to be categorically exempt from further review under Section 15301, Class 1 Subsections (a) and (d) Existing Facilities of the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines (Title 14, California Code of Regulations). As evidenced by the Notice of Exemption, Section 15301(a) and (d), Class 1 provides categorical exemption for projects consisting of the repair, maintenance, or minor alteration of existing public structures or facilities involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. The repair and electrical upgrade of the existing vault is consistent with the Class 1 exemption and will not have a significant environmental impact.
PROCUREMENT
Upon approval of the Project, PFMD will advertise for competitive bids for the Project on March 1, 2024. A mandatory pre-bid meeting for prospective bidders is scheduled to be conducted on March 13, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. in the Administration Airports Building A550 at the end of Cal Aero Drive at Chino Airport located at 7000 Merrill Avenue in Chino. The bid opening for the Project is scheduled for April 10, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. at PFMD.
Pursuant to California Public Contract Code sections 22032 and 22039, the Board shall adopt plans, specifications, and working details for public projects exceeding $200,000. Plans and specifications adopted for the Project are on file with the Clerk of the Board.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Agnes Cheng, Deputy County Counsel, and Julie Surber, Principal Assistant County Counsel, 387-5455) on January 25, 2024; Purchasing (Leo Gomez, Purchasing Manager, 387-2063) on January 25, 2024; Project and Facilities Management (Robert Gilliam, Chief of Project Management, 387-5000) on February 7, 2024; Finance (Elias Duenas, Administrative Analyst, 387-4052, and Yael Verduzco, Principal Administrative Analyst, 387-5285) on February 9, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Valerie Clay, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on February 12, 2024.